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NATO’s top official has announced a significant increase in the alliance’s military presence in the Baltic Sea region following another suspected sabotage of critical undersea infrastructure.

Some shit you should know before you read: In the last two years, there has been a notable uptick in sabotage incidents targeting critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. In 2022, the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which once transported natural gas from Russia to Germany, were damaged by underwater explosions, with investigations concluding sabotage as the cause. Subsequent events have included the severing of multiple undersea data cables, such as those linking Finland to Germany and Lithuania to Sweden. While Baltic nations have frequently accused Russia of orchestrating these incidents as part of hybrid warfare tactics, the Kremlin has consistently denied involvement and pointed fingers at other actors, including the United States, particularly in the Nord Stream case.  

What’s going on now: In response to the growing threats posed by sabotage in the Baltic Sea, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced that the alliance would significantly bolster its military presence in the region. This increased presence will involve deploying additional maritime patrol aircraft, long-distance radar planes, and drones to enhance surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities. NATO is also expected to dispatch a fleet of minehunters to safeguard critical undersea infrastructure such as power and data cables.

This all comes after the Estlink-2 power cable, a critical electricity link between Finland and Estonia, was damaged in an incident that Finnish authorities suspect involved the Eagle S, a vessel tied to Russia’s shadow fleet. The ship, flagged to the Cook Islands but allegedly part of a network used by Russia to bypass sanctions, is believed to have dragged its anchor along the seabed, causing the disruption. Finnish officials seized the vessel to prevent further damage.

Russia has downplayed the seizure of the Eagle S by Finnish authorities, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declining to comment directly on the incident, though acknowledging that Russia was monitoring the situation.